I WANT SELECTION HEADACHES!

“I hope I have headaches [in terms of players competing for the starting XI], because, last year, I also had headaches but there were no players available! So I hope I have many players available and we can make a selection from game to game. Definitely, we have to rotate because we have to cover so many games and so it’s not only about a starting XI. That is a nice headache.”

ALL TROPHIES ARE SIGNIFICANT

“FA Cup, Carabao Cup, it’s significant. I see all the attention from all the teams, from all the owners, all the managers when they win a trophy, like Liverpool did last year with winning the Carabao Cup. I saw the final and also going up to the final, all the teams battling for it. We want the same. So it’s very important and, in football, to win trophies, also in English football, is very important. You have five leagues, you have five opportunities. Our aim is always to win all the games, so win all the trophies if possible.”

HOJLUND, MOUNT AND LINDELOF READY FOR THE WEEKEND?

“They are not ready for tomorrow. We will see how the progress will continue.”

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The Reds are back in action at Old Trafford, looking to progress in the competition we won in 2022/23, and the manager is pondering his selection on the back of the weekend win at Southampton, with another away game to come on Saturday, against Crystal Palace.

There were a few minor concerns coming out of the 3-0 triumph at St Mary’s Stadium, but Ten Hag says those with a question mark are okay, leaving him a big squad to choose from.

“They are all available,” he said of Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez. “They are good.

“I hope I have headaches because, last year, I also had headaches, but there were no players available.

“So, I hope I have many players available and we can make a selection from game to game. Definitely, we have to rotate because we have to cover so many games and so it’s not only about a starting XI.”

Manuel Ugarte came off the bench to make his debut and may make his maiden Old Trafford appearance against the League One side.

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OPPOSITION ANALYSIS

The Hammers finished second bottom in 2023/24, nine points clear of Bristol City, and even though they never truly looked at risk of relegation, significant changes have been made to Rehanne Skinner’s squad over the summer.

Australia international goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold heads a list of departures that also includes the experienced Hawa Cissoko and Japanese pair Honoka Hayashi and Risa Shimizu.

Kinga Szemik has arrived to compete with Megan Walsh for the no.1 position, while Camila Saez and Shelina Zadorsky bolster the backline, the latter having rejoined from Tottenham following last season’s loan spell. Manuela Pavi, Seraina Peubel, Oona Siren and Li Mengwen are also new arrivals.

West Ham were reliant on the goals of Riko Ueki and Viviane Asseyi last term, the pair together contributing 12 of the team’s 20 efforts.

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St. George’s Park was the venue on Sunday afternoon, as we took on Spurs in a behind-closed-doors pre-season friendly.

According to Opta, the 22-year-old created six chances in Saturday’s game against Southampton, making him the youngest United player to achieve that feat since Anthony Martial against Stoke City in February 2016.

That was the most chances created by any player in the clash at St Mary’s and the most Amad has recorded for the Reds in a single game across all competitions, so it feels just that he recorded the assist for Rashford’s goal.

Those numbers are impressive in isolation for a forward, but he proved just as effective through his work off the ball, too.

Amad registered the most tackles in the game (three) and won over half of his ground duels, assistance that will likely have been appreciated by Noussair Mazraoui in the right-back role behind him.

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